View source for Denis Gallagher

{{Short description|Irish Fianna Fáil politician (1922–2001)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name          = Denis Gallagher
| image         = Denis Gallagher.jpg
| caption       = Gallagher {{circa}} 1982
| office        = [[Minister of State (Ireland)|Minister of State]]
| suboffice     = [[Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality|Gaeltacht]]
| subterm       = 1987–1989
| suboffice1    = [[Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection|Social Welfare]]
| subterm1      = Mar.–Oct. 1982
| suboffice2    = [[Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment|Industry, Commerce and Tourism]]
| subterm2      = 1980–1981
| office3       = [[Minister for Children, Disability and Equality|Minister for the Gaeltacht]]
| taoiseach3    = [[Charles Haughey]]
| term_start3   = 11 October 1982
| term_end3     = 14 December 1982
| predecessor3  = [[Pádraig Flynn]]
| successor3    = [[Paddy O'Toole]]
| taoiseach4    = [[Jack Lynch]] 
| term_start4   = 5 July 1977
| term_end4     = 11 December 1979		
| predecessor4  = [[Tom O'Donnell (politician)|Tom O'Donnell]]
| successor4    = [[Máire Geoghegan-Quinn]]
| office5       = [[Teachta Dála]]
| term_start5   = [[1973 Irish general election|February 1973]]
| term_end5     = [[1989 Irish general election|June 1989]]
| constituency5 = [[Mayo West (Dáil constituency)|Mayo West]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1922|12|29|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[County Mayo]], Ireland
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2001|11|3|1922|12|29|df=y}}
| death_place   = County Mayo, Ireland
| nationality   = [[Irish people|Irish]]
| party         = [[Fianna Fáil]]
| spouse        = {{marriage|Hannah McHugh|1948}}
| children      = 12
| education     = Coláiste Éinde
| alma_mater    = [[St Patrick's College, Dublin]]
}}
'''Denis Gallagher''' (29 December 1922 – 3 November 2001) was an Irish [[Fianna Fáil]] politician.<ref name=oireachtas_db>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Denis-Gallagher.D.1973-03-14/|title=Denis Gallagher|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=23 November 2012|archive-date=8 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108185906/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Denis-Gallagher.D.1973-03-14|url-status=live}}</ref> He served as [[Minister for Children, Disability and Equality|Minister for the Gaeltacht]] on two occasions.

==Early life==
Denis Gallagher was born in Currane, by [[Clew Bay]], facing [[Achill Island]], [[County Mayo]] in 1922, the son of John Gallagher, a merchant, and his wife Catherine (née Gallagher). He grew up speaking English and Irish.<ref name=dib>{{cite web|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/gallagher-denis-o-gallchoir-donncha-a9761|title=Gallagher, Denis|work=[[Dictionary of Irish Biography]]|last=Clavin|first=Terry|access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref> He was educated locally and at Coláiste Éinde in [[Salthill]]. He qualified as a national school teacher having graduated from [[St Patrick's College, Dublin|St Patrick's College]] in [[Drumcondra, Dublin|Drumcondra]], [[Dublin]]. He taught in [[Drimnagh]] in Dublin for several years before returning to Mayo in 1946 to take up a teaching post. He married Hannah McHugh of Keel West, Achill in 1948, and they had twelve children.<ref name=dib/>

==Politics==
Gallagher stood as a [[Clann na Poblachta]] candidate at the [[1954 Irish general election|1954 general election]] for [[Mayo North (Dáil constituency)|Mayo North]] but was not elected. In the 1960s Gallagher changed allegiance and became a member of [[Fianna Fáil]]. He was elected to Mayo County Council in 1967 and was elected to [[Dáil Éireann]] on his third attempt at the [[1973 Irish general election|1973 general election]] for the [[Mayo West (Dáil constituency)|Mayo West]] constituency.<ref name=elecs_irl>{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=2524|title=Denis Gallagher|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=23 November 2012|archive-date=22 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922211838/https://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=2524|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1974, he was appointed Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Fisheries. Fianna Fáil won the [[1977 Irish general election|1977 general election]] and [[Jack Lynch]] became Taoiseach. He appointed Gallagher as [[Minister for Children, Disability and Equality|Minister for the Gaeltacht]].<ref name=mapp15>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1977-07-06/8/|title=Ceapachain mar Airí agus Rúnaí Parlaiminte – Dáil Éireann (21st Dáil)|date=6 July 1977|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas|access-date=1 February 2020|archive-date=18 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218114708/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1977-07-06/8/|url-status=live}}</ref> He was an active minister with an interest in [[Irish language]] affairs. In the [[1979 Fianna Fáil leadership election|1979 leadership contest]] Gallagher supported [[George Colley]]. However, [[Charles Haughey]] won the election, becoming [[Taoiseach]], and Gallagher lost his position in cabinet. In March 1980, he was appointed as [[Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment|Minister of State at the Department of Industry, Commerce and Tourism]]<ref name=burkeapp>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1980-10-16/2/|title=Appointment of Ministers – Dáil Éireann (21st Dáil)|date=16 October 1980|access-date=1 February 2020|website=Houses of the Oireachtas|archive-date=1 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200201145634/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1980-10-16/2/|url-status=live}}</ref> He served in this role until the Fianna Fáil lost office in June 1981. His main achievement as minister was the establishment in 1979 of a new [[gaeltacht]] authority, [[Údarás na Gaeltachta]].<ref name=dib/>

Fianna Fáil returned to government in March 1982. In October 1982, following the resignations of [[Martin O'Donoghue]] and [[Desmond O'Malley]] from the cabinet, Gallagher returned as Minister for the Gaeltacht.<ref name=octapp>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1982-10-27/35/|title=Nomination of Members of Government: Motion – Dáil Éireann (23rd Dáil)|date=27 October 1982|access-date=17 August 2019|website=Houses of the Oireachtas|archive-date=8 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108033406/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1982-10-27/35/|url-status=live}}</ref> He remained in that post until December when [[Fianna Fáil]] went into opposition.

Following the [[1987 Irish general election|1987 general election]], Fianna Fáil returned to government. Haughey appointed himself as Minister for the Gaeltacht as well as Taoiseach, with Gallagher as [[Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality|Minister of State at the Department of the Gaeltacht]]. Gallagher retired from politics at the [[1989 Irish general election|1989 general election]]. After his retirement, he worked to advance the Irish language cause and also served as chairman of the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]] in Mayo.

He died in Castlebar on 3 November 2001, aged 78.<ref name=dib/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} 
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Tom O'Donnell (politician)|Tom O'Donnell]]}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister for Children, Disability and Equality|Minister for the Gaeltacht]] 
       |years  = 1977–1979}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Máire Geoghegan-Quinn]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Ray Burke (Irish politician)|Ray Burke]]
       |before2= [[Thomas Meaney]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment|Minister of State at the Department of Industry, Commerce and Tourism]]
       |years  = 1980–1981
       |with   = Thomas Meaney}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Michael Begley (politician)|Michael Begley]]}}
{{s-new | office}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection|Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare]]
       |years  = Mar.–Oct. 1982}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Rory O'Hanlon]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Pádraig Flynn]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister for Children, Disability and Equality|Minister for the Gaeltacht]] 
       |years  = Oct. 1982–Dec. 1982}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Paddy O'Toole]]}}
{{s-vac|last   = [[Michael D'Arcy]]}}
{{s-ttl|title  = [[Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality|Minister of State at the Department of the Gaeltacht]]
       |years  = 1987–1989}}
{{s-aft|after  = [[Pat "the Cope" Gallagher]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Mayo West (Dáil constituency)/TDs}}
{{Clann na Poblachta}}
{{15th Government of Ireland}}
{{18th Government of Ireland}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallagher, Denis}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of St Patrick's College, Dublin]]
[[Category:Clann na Poblachta candidates in Dáil elections]]
[[Category:Fianna Fáil TDs]]
[[Category:Irish schoolteachers]]
[[Category:Members of the 20th Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 21st Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 22nd Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 23rd Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 24th Dáil]]
[[Category:Members of the 25th Dáil]]
[[Category:Ministers of state of the 25th Dáil]]
[[Category:Ministers of state of the 23rd Dáil]]
[[Category:Ministers of state of the 21st Dáil]]
[[Category:People educated at Coláiste Éinde]]
[[Category:Politicians from County Mayo]]